A liquid crystal display apparatus has features such as thinness, light weight, and low power consumption. Therefore, the liquid crystal display apparatus has been widely used in mobile equipment such as a mobile telephone and a watch, OA equipment such as a personal computer monitor and a notebook computer, household electric products such as a video camera and a liquid crystal television, and the like. The reason why the liquid crystal display apparatus has been widely used as such is that the defects such as the variation in display properties depending upon the viewing angle of a screen, and the malfunction caused by a high temperature, an extremely low temperature, or the like are being overcome by technical innovation. However, as applications cover a broader range, properties required in the respective applications are changing. For example, in an application for a floor-type television, several people watch a screen simultaneously. Therefore, there is a demand for a display whose contrast and a display color are unlikely to change depending upon a viewing angle and an azimuth. In order to enhance the contrast of the liquid crystal display apparatus, it is important to reduce light leakage in the case of displaying a black image. In order to obtain a vivid color display in the liquid crystal display apparatus, it is important to reduce slight coloration of leaked light.
Conventionally, various kinds of retardation films have been used in the liquid crystal display apparatus. For example, a method is disclosed in which a retardation film (so-called positive C plate) having a refractive index ellipsoid of nz>nx=ny and a retardation film (so-called positive A plate) having a refractive index ellipsoid of nx>ny=nz are placed on one side of a liquid crystal cell of an in-plane switching (IPS) system, whereby a color shift is enhanced (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, the display properties of a liquid crystal display apparatus obtained by a conventional technology are not sufficient, and therefore, further improvement has been desired.
Patent Document 1: JP 11-133408 A